The Oyo State police have collected N40,000 from Peter Idoko, a farmer seeking justice for the bodily harm inflicted on him by herdsmen.
Peter, who resides in Ibudo Apata, Ilero, Oyo State, lost his fingers when herdsmen attacked him and other farmers who were chasing them and their cows away for destroying the cassava crops they had planted.
Peter told FIJ that the crops were destroyed by the cows on two occasions. The first time it happened, Peter and other farmers arrived at the farm to see the cassava they had planted destroyed by cows. The cows were there but left unattended, as the herders were nowhere to be found.
The following day, Peter went to the farm to gather the uprooted cassava so he could try to sell them to potential buyers. He arrived at the farm in the evening to find the cows and the herders causing more damage than they had done the previous day.
A source who does not want to be named told FIJ that Peter called the rest of the farmers to join him in chasing the cows and the herdsmen out of the farm.
The source added that they did not have the intention of instigating violence and just wanted the herdsmen to leave their farm.
“When they arrived, they chased them to their camp without the intention of causing them any harm, but they attacked Peter with a cutlass and cut his fingers off,” the source told FIJ.
That night, Peter was rushed to the hospital while the rest of the farmers gathered to discuss the step they should take in resolving the issue.
“Some people wanted us to retaliate so it could erupt into a full-blown conflict, but the community elders advised against it. They said it would result in the loss of lives, properties and resources,” he added.
The following day, they decided to involve the police. According to Peter Idoko, the farmer who lost his fingers, the district crime officer 1 (DCO1) handling the case requested N200,000.
Peter told FIJ that they negotiated with the DCO1 to reduce the money because they could not afford the sum they requested. He also told FIJ that they gave the DCO1 a sum of N40,000 so he could commence investigations.
“They first requested N200,000, and we pleaded with them to reduce it. We gave them N40,000. So, they went to check them (referring to the herders), but they said they did not find them.”
The source told FIJ that the police said the money would be used to buy fuel and other things needed to investigate the case.
“He said the money would be used to finance the case, like purchasing fuel and other necessary things. They said whenever they were going for further investigation, they would be requesting money. All we want is justice,” he said.
FIJ contacted ASP Isaiah, the district crime officer 2 at Ilero Police Command. When this reporter contacted him, he confirmed that Peter’s fingers were indeed cut off by a Fulani herdsman. He added that the person who committed the atrocity was on the run.
“A Fulani herdsman cut the farmer’s hand, and he is on the run. We are still looking for him. The investigation is still going on,” he told FIJ.
When asked if he was aware that the DCO1 took N40,000 from Peter after requesting N200,000, he said such a thing could never happen.
“The DCO1 is my senior. How could he ask the farmer who was injured to bring money for investigation? It isn’t possible. I don’t believe such a thing can happen. We can never do such,” he said..
